Why writing classes still matter in the age of AI
Nowadays, generative AI tools make it remarkably simple to produce lengthy texts and visually appealing essays in just seconds. Because of this, many people are starting to question the role of college writing classes. Around the world, teachers are asking whether student essays can still be trusted or whether writing assignments have lost their value. Some express concern that AI makes higher education less meaningful because students are using it to do the thinking for them.
These concerns are valid, but giving up on writing classes is not the right answer. Writing classes have never been only about grammar or elegant sentences. At their best, they support students in developing critical thinking skills, examining facts carefully, and accepting responsibility for their opinions. These human abilities are still crucial despite the speed at which machines can now generate language. They are becoming even more important.
The real problem is not the use of AI itself. The problem is that writing classes have often focused too much on the finished essay and not enough on the thinking behind it. Traditionally, students were rewarded for writing clear, error-free, and well-organised essays on straightforward topics. AI is very good at this kind of writing. If teachers focus more on perfect language, clear structure, and error-free writing than on original ideas, then it becomes easy for students to rely on AI instead of doing their own thinking.
For writing classes to remain meaningful, they need to change, not disappear. Teachers need to focus less on perfect language and more on showing how students think. One helpful change is bringing more writing into the classroom. When students do most of their writing at home and only submit a final paper, it is easier to depend on AI. Many teachers are now using more in-class writing, short responses, and guided revision activities. Some teachers even ask students to write by hand, not because they reject technology, but because they want to see how students develop ideas step by step in real time. When students write in class, answer new questions, or revise their work while others are present, writing becomes part of the learning process, not just a final product. As students’ thinking takes place in class, it is much harder to replace that thinking with AI.
The way assignments are designed is also important. AI works best with general and predictable topics. It has more difficulty when writing is based on specific readings, class discussions, or local issues. Instead of broad essay topics, teachers can ask students to respond to class debates, analyse texts, explain how a reading changed their thinking, or revise their ideas after feedback. AI can also be used as an idea generator or a thinking partner in class. For example, students can prompt ChatGPT to take the role of a famous thinker or public figure and present an argument. Students can then analyse, question, or debate those ideas. In this way, students are not letting AI do the thinking for them. They are learning how to evaluate ideas.
Grading methods also need to change. If three or four major essays determine most of the final grade, students feel strong pressure to produce perfect work in any way they can. A better approach is to allocate less weight to long papers, make them shorter, and include more writing in class. Grades can focus more on reading responses, in-class writing, reflections, and critical thinking activities. These may include analysing pictures, films, or videos, or explaining how a piece of writing improved after revision. Drafts and reflections show the work behind the writing and what students learn. When students explain how their ideas changed, teachers can see real thinking, not just AI-generated text.
In the age of AI, writing cannot be separated from reading. AI can produce text, but it cannot truly read. Like humans, it cannot struggle with meaning, ask questions, or notice weak arguments. Writing classes need to place reading back at the centre. Students need time to read carefully, ask questions, and discuss the meaning of what they read. Writing should grow from reading. It should not be done as an empty task. Careful reading also helps build critical thinking. It teaches students how arguments work, how evidence is used, and how language shapes meaning. When students read carefully, they usually write better. These skills are important for graduates all over the world, where critical thinking and effective communication are essential.
Ignoring AI will not prepare students for real life. Writing classes should openly discuss AI and teach students when and how it can support learning and when it replaces their own work. Questions about authorship, voice, and responsibility naturally belong in writing classes, where students have always explored how to write as independent thinkers.
AI has changed writing education, but it has not removed the need for writing classes. What it has done is reveal the weaknesses of old teaching methods. If writing classes focus only on final essays, they will struggle. If they focus on reading, thinking, drafting, and discussion, they will continue to matter.
Universities now have a choice. They can use AI as a reason to move away from writing, or they can use it to demonstrate why writing is important. Writing classes that value reading, thinking, fairness, and each student’s own voice do not compete with AI. They do what machines cannot do. In a world where language is now easy to generate, teaching students to think carefully, read deeply, write responsibly, and express their own voice is not old-fashioned. It is necessary.
Khaled Karim is an Associate Professor at American University in Dubai (AUD), with a PhD in Applied Linguistics. He can be reached at kkarim@aud.edu.
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